“The 4C – Challenge:

Communication – Coordination – Cooperation – Capacity Development”

Organised by the

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)

and the

Bonn, Germany, 12 – 14 October 2010

Langer Eugen UN Campus, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10

D-53113 Bonn, Germany

Introduction/ Background

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), through its UN-SPIDER Programme (United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and EmergencyResponse) together with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are organising the above mentioned workshop to promote the access and use of space-based technologies and solutions for disaster management and emergency response within relevant communities.

In its resolution 61/110 of 14 December 2006 the United Nations General Assembly agreed to establish the “United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response – UN-SPIDER”, as a programme of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, to provide universal access to all countries and all relevant international and regional organizations to all types of space-based information and services relevant to disaster management.

As part of the UN-SPIDER outreach activities, workshops are being organized in 2010 to raise awareness within the user community of the benefits of using space-based information and solutions, to assess its needs and to contribute to specific activities of the programme. Specifically, this Fourth International Workshop in Bonn will provide an opportunity to bring together decision-makers and experts from both the space technology and disaster management communities, international scientific organizations, knowledge transfer and educational institutions, as well as internationally active private companies, with the intention of sharing their best practices and to bring their knowledge, products and technologies for risk and disaster management, humanitarian aid and emergency response.

More information on the outcome of the previous workshops in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and the respective presentations made during the workshops are available at http://www.un-spider.org.

Workshop Topics

Main topics of the fourth workshop will include:

1. Space technology in support of risk and disaster management: relevant space-based solutions and information for risk and disaster management support and emergency response including on-going and planned initiatives, case studies and best practices, available geospatial data for disaster studies and capacity building opportunities.

2. Satellite communications technology: presentations and discussions on satellite communications services, namely satellite phones, VSAT's, BGAN's by the service providers and technology developers for the use of emergency telecommunications.

3. International support mechanisms and SpaceAid: discussion of the strengthening of the international coordination with regard to access to existing mechanisms that provide space–based information to support emergency response such as the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, GMES/SAFER, Sentinel Asia, SERVIR and the UN-SPIDER SpaceAid Framework. Specific presentations on the work carried out to support the response efforts for the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile will also be included under this theme. Participants will be invited to discuss and provide feedback on the utility and timeliness of space-based support for the response and recovery efforts following recent mega-disasters, including direct and fast availability of satellite data and services to the responding organizations, and to provide feedback for improving such support. Key providers and users of space-based data are invited to make contributions to this discussion, helping evaluate the present state and making suggestions for better future response efforts.

4. The UN-SPIDER network: presentations regarding the UN-SPIDER National Focal Points (NFP), the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices (RSO), the Global Thematic Partnership in strong collaboration with UNISDR and existing Communities of Practice (CoP) will demonstrate the dynamically growing international network of the UN-SPIDER programme and the role of its backbone operational platform – the UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal.

As a general framework, the workshop will contribute to the coordination of the various initiatives that are contributing to helping developing countries access and use space-based technologies for disaster management and risk reduction as well as to explore possibilities of capacity development and institutional strengthening.

Target audience

The workshop will provide an opportunity for cutting-edge presentations, brainstorming and in-depth discussions. It will bring together a total of 80-100 decision-makers and senior experts from the following groups.

* National and regional institutions responsible for providing risk and disaster management support, for the implementation and maintenance of early warning systems, as well as for risk and assessment;* National and regional institutions responsible for adaptation strategies to climate change* National and regional institutions responsible for capacity building in and promoting the use of space-based technologies;* UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices, National Focal Points, and Institutional Partners;* UN agencies and NGOs involved in disaster management mitigation and relief;* Space agencies;* Mobile satellite services departments of communications satellite operators;* Satellite phone service providers;* Research institutions and development agencies for Emergency Telecommunications in industry and academia;* Academic and research institutions;* Geospatial Information Management and IT companies.

Participation requirements

Participants should hold managerial or professional positions at governmental agencies, international, national and regional institutions, NGOs or private industry with programmes or activities relating to providing support to disaster management and emergency response activities, early warning systems, risk and vulnerability assessment, or development of space technology capabilities and/or solutions. Applicants who demonstrate that the topics of this event are central to his/her professional activities/responsibilities will be considered on a priority basis.

Language

The working language will be English.

Proceedings

Selected papers of this workshop will be published in a proceeding volume after the conference. The quality of this publication will be ensured by a team of editors from different organizations and institutions. If you are interested in publishing your presentation in this volume, we would like to ask you to submit the abstract to Mr. Robert Backhaus, robert.backhaus [at] unoosa.org. Please note that if your paper is selected for publication, you will be asked to submit your full paper before the Workshop! The deadline for the submission of abstracts is Friday, 17 September 2010. The deadline for the submission of the full papers that are selected for publication is Monday, 4 October 2010. We are looking forward to your contributions!

Points of Contact

For information regarding the agenda and general arrangements, including information regarding the venue of the meeting, hotel accommodation, transportation and other logistical details, please contact Ms. Natalie Epler, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UN-SPIDER Bonn Office.